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Faces of Victims

Ben-Yosef Livnat, 24

April 24, 2011 - Ben-Yosef Livnat, 24, of Jerusalem was killed by a Palestinian policeman at Joseph''s Tomb in Nablus.

Ben-Yosef Livnat, nephew of Sports and Culture Minister Limor Livnat, was fatally wounded by a PA policeman who shot at a group of Breslav Hassidim on their way to prayer at Joseph’s Tomb, on the outskirts of Nablus. Four other worshipers were wounded. The group of worshippers entered Nablus without coordinating the visit with the IDF, as stipulated by law. The four policemen were immediately placed under arrest by the PA, which is continuing to investigate the shooting, but has already determined that it was in violation of regulations.

As an infant, Ben-Yosef Livnat was circumcised at Joseph’s Tomb, where his father Noam Livnat had studied at the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva. Ben-Yosef was one of six children in the family, and his name reflected the family’s bond with Joseph and Joseph’s Tomb, where ironically, he was murdered.

Hebron Jewish community spokesman David Wilder related: "Ben-Yosef, or Benyo, had studied at Kollel Ohr Shlomo in Tel Rumeida for a few years. I saw him there every morning, studying the teachings for Rebbi Nachman of Breslav with a study partner, before the nine o’clock start of the regular day’s program. During his last year in the Torah program, he moved with his wife and family to Beit Hadassah, where he lived for about a year, before moving to a Breslav neighborhood in Jerusalem." In the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Beit Yisrael in Jerusalem, neighbors were stunned as they spoke of a humble man who stood out for his willingness to help all his friends. "He was a very special man," said one neighbor.

Minister Limor Livnat wrote of her nephew: "We will never forget the luminous light that always shone from his eyes. His eyes always shone. I remember Benyo as a mischievous child, constantly laughing and smiling. He loved God and mankind, and he loved the Land of Israel."

Ben-Yosef Livnat buried at the Mount Olives Cemetery in Jerusalem. He is survived by his parents, Noam and Rivka, five brothers and sisters, his wife Shira and four young children.